Wyoming's Four Indy Pass Mountains Beckon Road-Trippers
Two pairs of Indy Pass resorts in northern Wyoming lend themselves to a couple of trips into the wild and woolly country of the Cowboy State.
All four of these destinations have less than 500 acres of skiable terrain, and all have more than 1,000 vertical feet -- small yet challenging hills with basic services nestled in the rugged northern Rocky Mountains.
The first Indy Pass pairing is Snow King in town of Jackson proper, and White Pine about two hours' drive down the Windy River Range.
Snow King may be the royalty of town hills in the West, thanks to local investment that produced the only gondola on a town hill in the West. In 2022, the town debuted the eight-seat cabins to replace the 40-year-old Summit chair and more snowmaking. Then, they opened up 100 acres of learning terrain on the backside, served by fixed-grip triple Cougar.
More than half of trail map is black, all clustered on top of mountain. Plenty of long, swinging green cat tracks, and wide slopes nearer the bottom. Popular night skiing goes 4:00 to 6:30 on weekdays.
Next, a scenic ride down Highway 191 to Pinedale. Plenty of beds and food there, and White Pine (350 a., 1,000 vert.) is 20 minutes up the road -- and open Fridays through Mondays. Last spring, new ownership put in all-mountain snowmaking and finished the base lodge that burned in 2019.
As its former name White Pine Family Ski Area, the cozy layout caters leans to easier stuff -- more than 70% greens and blues. Trail map splits out handily, with all blacks to skier's left off the 9,500-foot summit. The fixed-grip triple Great Spirit, now 25 years old, does the heavy lifting.
The Indy Pass road trip continues with a swing to the east into the ancestral Bighorn Mountains. There, less than 50 miles apart as the crow flies but more than 100 miles via road, you find another couple of small-hill gems in Meadowlark and Antelope Butte.
Also known as Big Horn Ski Resort, Meadowlark (320 a., 1,100 vert.) breaks out nicely with blacks (20% of total) on skier's left -- with some real "huckster" cliffs and drops -- and blue/green trails sprawling on the other side of the hill. The 28-year-old Cloud Peak fixed-grip triple is the main carrier, with the Little Chief double serving beginner terrain.
Meadowlark spins its lift on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. It has a 25,000 square-foot base lodge and is a feature of the larger Meadowlark Lake Resort.
Final Indy Pass stop is Antelope Butte (250 a., 1,000 vert.) tucked up high in the northern Bighorns and open Wednesday-Sundays. The 'Lope is the only mountain in the West with free skiing and riding for those under 18.
A surprisingly steep hill, greens stick to the bottom while blues and blacks share upper section below 9,400-foot summit. Unusual are large "limited patrol" sectors off the top with lines through trees and across small meadows.
Nonprofit Antelope Butte Foundation is slowly rebuilding after a 14-year hiatus that ended in 2018. Plans call for terrain expansions around the base. And, you can rent the place just for you and your friends on Mondays and Tuesdays.
